Yeah. Like I said...this is a very different relationship, not having raised her from kittenhood. Ceili was my little shadow and bodyguard and slept with me every night I had her (and was home).

I was going to wait until spring and get 2 littermate kittens. But....then stuff happened.

Wattle was hand raised from kittenness. He used to jump up into his crate to go visit his sister when she lived just down the street. Then he became more aloof (and can't blame that on puberty). I'm sure it's good stuff happening

Yeah. Like I said...this is a very different relationship, not having raised her from kittenhood. Ceili was my little shadow and bodyguard and slept with me every night I had her (and was home).

I was going to wait until spring and get 2 littermate kittens. But....then stuff happened.

A day or two isn't nearly enough for her to feel comfortable. But she'll get there. We raised Mack from about 10 or 11 weeks and he was flighty for years. Maybe you're right that she'd be different if you'd had her since kittenhood, or maybe it's nature, not nurture. But in a couple of weeks, she'll have the lay of the land and you'll have a better idea of what she'll be like.

Yeah. Like I said...this is a very different relationship, not having raised her from kittenhood. Ceili was my little shadow and bodyguard and slept with me every night I had her (and was home).

I was going to wait until spring and get 2 littermate kittens. But....then stuff happened.

Don't be worried. So much has happened to this little girl. And now, after months in the shelter, she's in a home with different sounds, smells, lighting, temperatures. She's a survivor. She'll come around.

There's no easy answer - they are cats after all. Pinot basically ignored me for years, not malicious, but just didn't see much use for me, except she would sometimes sleep on my legs. Then I became her sole care-giver for 9 months and she latched on and ended up training me how to sleep with my arm positioned just-so and she could curl up against my chest. Now that she's gone Wattle is training me to sleep with my arm out just-so, so that he can sleep on top of my hand. He does that for a while then leaves. He never comes up for affection anywhere else in the house (although he loves to interfere with weeding). He just thinks that's not his job - people are supposed to come pay attention to him.

One thing I found that can help is sitting beside a cat, not paying attention to them unless they ask, but just letting them know you like to be near them. I think there is a lot of trial and error and just accepting their random acts of catness.

Yeah. Like I said...this is a very different relationship, not having raised her from kittenhood. Ceili was my little shadow and bodyguard and slept with me every night I had her (and was home).

I was going to wait until spring and get 2 littermate kittens. But....then stuff happened.

It's so weird, Jrz...she has always let me pet her (and others at the shelter too), but only if you seek her out in one of her hiding places.

She was doing fine roaming and exploring when I first brought her home last night, but today when I opened the blinds in the living room she ran into the bedroom and hid in the cat tree the rest of the day. She came out to eat and went under the bed.

There's no easy answer - they are cats after all. Pinot basically ignored me for years, not malicious, but just didn't see much use for me, except she would sometimes sleep on my legs. Then I became her sole care-giver for 9 months and she latched on and ended up training me how to sleep with my arm positioned just-so and she could curl up against my chest. Now that she's gone Wattle is training me to sleep with my arm out just-so, so that he can sleep on top of my hand. He does that for a while then leaves. He never comes up for affection anywhere else in the house (although he loves to interfere with weeding). He just thinks that's not his job - people are supposed to come pay attention to him.

One thing I found that can help is sitting beside a cat, not paying attention to them unless they ask, but just letting them know you like to be near them. I think there is a lot of trial and error and just accepting their random acts of catness.

It's so weird, Jrz...she has always let me pet her (and others at the shelter too), but only if you seek her out in one of her hiding places.

She was doing fine roaming and exploring when I first brought her home last night, but today when I opened the blinds in the living room she ran into the bedroom and hid in the cat tree the rest of the day. She came out to eat and went under the bed.

Hey, I hooked you up via PM at the other place with my friend (and recent traveling companion) Virginia. She's a vet tech, runs a kitty rescue, and has dealt with the dip.

congratulations! if she's already letting you pet her, it sounds like she's already somewhat confident. she'll bloom with some time.

It's so weird, Jrz...she has always let me pet her (and others at the shelter too), but only if you seek her out in one of her hiding places.

She was doing fine roaming and exploring when I first brought her home last night, but today when I opened the blinds in the living room she ran into the bedroom and hid in the cat tree the rest of the day. She came out to eat and went under the bed.

It'll also be nice when the house doesn't smell like sulfur anymore. She had one more sulfur-lime dip before they released her from Iso. Bleh. I can tell she's eager to have it off her fur. Poor thing.

congratulations! if she's already letting you pet her, it sounds like she's already somewhat confident. she'll bloom with some time.

It'll also be nice when the house doesn't smell like sulfur anymore. She had one more sulfur-lime dip before they released her from Iso. Bleh. I can tell she's eager to have it off her fur. Poor thing.

So...I got the kitty. I call her Luna (after Luna Lovegood - on Harry Potter). This is a very different sort of relationship—I think I know a little of what Antigone went through with her new furbaby. I didn't get this cat at 9 weeks and make the first impression. She may very well have had a difficult first year from the way she hides, cowers, and gives little warning hisses. She likes to be petted, but it's in a very frantic kind of way with head butts and rubbing the side of her face and neck on my hand. She does purr, though. I haven't heard her meow - she is very uiet.

I think this will take some time. I guess I misread her shelter behavior and thought she wasn't as fearful anymore. I have a tiny bit of buyer's remorse, because after fourteen years of having a cat that wasn't completely social with others...now I have one who doesn't even want to sit/lie close to me. I hope I haven't made a mistake...because she could very well be with me until I'm nearly 70. They do have a return policy at my shelter (first 60 days)....but I wouldn't do that until I give it some time. I just...never wanted to have one of those cats who only comes out to eat and do her business. She played a little yesterday, so maybe that's a good sign.

I feel so uncertain I don't even feel like posting/celebrating on FB. Is that weird? Was it too soon?

Anyway, he has been with us a week as of this past Tuesday. We rescued a real rescue kittie and our vet is so happy he ended up with us and that he is doing well. Turns out he can't be more than two years old. But he's happy and we are happy.

Kurt, that's such a great story - congratulations! I'm glad you're all happy. BlueHeronDruid wrote:

Good luck!

Thank you. Coaxial wrote:

We never "move on", we just add to our lives by gaining another furbaby...Congratulations, I hope it works out for you both!

I like that...just adding to your lives.

So...I got the kitty. I call her Luna (after Luna Lovegood - on Harry Potter). This is a very different sort of relationship—I think I know a little of what Antigone went through with her new furbaby. I didn't get this cat at 9 weeks and make the first impression. She may very well have had a difficult first year from the way she hides, cowers, and gives little warning hisses. She likes to be petted, but it's in a very frantic kind of way with head butts and rubbing the side of her face and neck on my hand. She does purr, though. I haven't heard her meow - she is very uiet.

I think this will take some time. I guess I misread her shelter behavior and thought she wasn't as fearful anymore. I have a tiny bit of buyer's remorse, because after fourteen years of having a cat that wasn't completely social with others...now I have one who doesn't even want to sit/lie close to me. I hope I haven't made a mistake...because she could very well be with me until I'm nearly 70. They do have a return policy at my shelter (first 60 days)....but I wouldn't do that until I give it some time. I just...never wanted to have one of those cats who only comes out to eat and do her business. She played a little yesterday, so maybe that's a good sign.

I feel so uncertain I don't even feel like posting/celebrating on FB. Is that weird? Was it too soon?

When we go through our "year of firsts" without a departed loved one/furbaby....there are always awarenesses of what no longer happens that always uses to happen at certain occasions.

For the first time in 14 years, I am putting up the Christmas tree without Ceili watching with rapt attention, sniffing every little thing that comes out of boxes and then jumping into the empty box and then curling up on the fleecy-soft tree skirt when it's all done. Even on her first Christmas when she was still a kitten, she was not a tree-demolisher like other cats. She respected the ritual and underneath the tree became a peaceful place of naps and meditation.

I am rethinking the new cat thing (and perhaps not waiting until spring). Maybe a new little tabby will be enjoying this tree before the end of the month. We'll see.

Location: 543 miles west of Paradis,1491 miles east of Paradise Gender: Zodiac: Chinese Yr:

Posted:
Dec 4, 2016 - 6:12pm

Alexandra wrote:

When we go through our "year of firsts" without a departed loved one/furbaby....there are always awarenesses of what no longer happens that always uses to happen at certain occasions.

For the first time in 14 years, I am putting up the Christmas tree without Ceili watching with rapt attention, sniffing every little thing that comes out of boxes and then jumping into the empty box and then curling up on the fleecy-soft tree skirt when it's all done. Even on her first Christmas when she was still a kitten, she was not a tree-demolisher like other cats. She respected the ritual and underneath the tree became a peaceful place of naps and meditation.

I am rethinking the new cat thing (and perhaps not waiting until spring). Maybe a new little tabby will be enjoying this tree before the end of the month. We'll see.

And yes — I've grown attached to one of the shelter cats I worked with for behavior modification. She's been there a long time and been through some grueling things. Now she's about to be released from ringworm isolation where she hasn't seen the light of day for 4 weeks (and the only stimuli is Disney movies -gah!).

I want to be her hero. She is tidy and dainty and very grounded—just like Ceili was.

And yes — I've grown attached to one of the shelter cats I worked with for behavior modification. She's been there a long time and been through some grueling things. Now she's about to be released from ringworm isolation where she hasn't seen the light of day for 4 weeks (and the only stimuli is Disney movies -gah!).

I want to be her hero. She is tidy and dainty and very grounded—just like Ceili was.

A friend of mine, who works at the local Feral Cat Coalition, where cats are trapped, neutered or spayed, given some basic shots and then released, said to me once, each time you lose one, remember they have left a hole in your heart for a reason... to allow another lonely, frightened, just-wants-to-cuddle feline to take its place.

Sounds like you might have a specific cat in mind to bring into your home

She was a good girl. Thanks for the good vibes.

And yes — I've grown attached to one of the shelter cats I worked with for behavior modification. She's been there a long time and been through some grueling things. Now she's about to be released from ringworm isolation where she hasn't seen the light of day for 4 weeks (and the only stimuli is Disney movies -gah!).

I want to be her hero. She is tidy and dainty and very grounded—just like Ceili was.